Ignition contacts



JAn. 29, 1963 c. BETTONl ETAL 3,076,064

IGNITION CONTACTS Filed April 4, 1960 INVENTORS EUGENE C.BETTONI By FRED $.KERR

ATTORN EYS United States Patent 3,76,tl64 EGNHTKGN CGNTACTS Eugene C. Bettoni, Birmingham, and Fred S. Kerr, Royal Oak, Mich, assignors to Holley Carburetor Company, Van Dyke, Mich a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 4, 196d, Ser. No. 19,897 7 Claims. (Cl. Zoo-19) The present invention relates to ignition systems and contact sets. More specifically, the invention relates to ignition circuit breakers. The function of ignition c0ntacts is to make and break the primary ignition circuit.

Special consideration must be made in designing the contact bracket and the contact breaker or movable arm so as to obtain reliable service and to provide an assembly which has durability and long life.

This invention utilizes a unitized construction, which has only three major pieces fastened together with rivets and which, in addition thereto, has pre-aligned contacts which provide for permanent alignment throughout the operating life of the set.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ignition contact set made of unitized construction and having prealigned contacts.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an ignition contact set comprising three major components, including a contact bracket having an integral bracket arm formed therewith, a movable arm which is fixed to one end of said bracket arm, said movable arm having a contact movable with respect to a permanent contact carried by the other end of said bracket arm, and a rubbing block carried by said movable arm.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ignition contact set having a bracket with a base and a portion thereof turned upwardly and bent back a short distance parallel to said base and terminating in a bracket arm which is spaced from said base and lies in planes substantially perpendicular to the plane of said base and a movable arm connected on one end to said bracket arm and carrying a contact on the other end thereof which is movable with respect to a permanent contact carried by said bracket arm, said movable arm being made from spring steel and of such dimension so as to provide the necessary contact force between said contacts.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved contact bracket formed of lightweight material from a single stamping, said bracket having a substantially flat portion and having a part at one edge thereof turned upwardly and bent to form connecting means which terminate in a bracket arm which is spaced from said flat portion and which lies in planes substantially perpendicular to the plane of said flat portion.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved ignition contact set comprising an integral contact bracket and bracket arm assembly, said bracket having a portion thereof bent to provide connecting means between the base and the bracket arm, said bracket arm lying in planes which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of said base, said bracket arm comprising an offset end portion on one end thereof and having near the other end thereof a substantially semi-cylindrical portion which permits the insertion of a screw in said base, said other end portion being substantially parallel to the olfset end portion and carrying a permanent contact, a resilient spring steel movable arm connected to the offset end portion and carrying on the other end a movable contact which is moved into and out of engagement with the permanent contact by the movement of the rubbing block located on the spring steel arm intermediate its ends.

Another object of the invention is to provide an im- 3,076,054 Patented Jan. 29, 1963 "ice proved ignition contact bracket and bracket set which are characterized by economy of production, simplicity of construction, ease of assembly, and efficiency of operation.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the ignition contact set.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the ignition contact set.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

The contact set shown in FIG. 1 is connected to a breaker plate 10 and includes as one part thereof a contact bracket 12 consisting of a substantially flat base 13 which has elongated mounting openings 14 provided therein at opposite ends of the base 13 and in which are located bolts 16 which fasten the bracket 12 to the plate lltv. An elongated intermediate portion of the bracket is struck out of the base 13 leaving an opening as indicated at 15, the struck out portion being extended downwardly to provide a locator pin or post 11 which is received in a locating opening in the plate It) on which the contact bracket 12 is mounted. An edge portion is turned upwardly to provide a stiffening rib 17 which has integrally formed therewith a connecting U-shaped portion 18, and also a second integrally formed portion providing a bracket arm 29 which extends outwardly from the portion 18 and lies in planes which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of the base 13.

The bracket 12 and bracket arm 20 form an assembly which is made from a single stamping and is bent to obtain the appropriate shape as is best seen by referring to the figures. The bracket arm 20 has a substantially fiat part 22, an offset part 24 at one end thereof, and a hooked Shaped portion 26 on the other end. The hooked shaped portion '26 includes a semi-cylindrical portion 28 so as to permit the bolt 16 to be readily inserted. Portion 26 terminates in an end portion 39 which is parallel to the flat part 22.. This is best shown in FIG. 1.

Mounted on the end portion or contact support arm 30 of the contact bracket 12 is a fixed contact 32. Amovable arm 34-, which is made of spring steel, is connected at one end thereof to the offset part 24 by rivets 36 and carries a movable contact 33 on the other end, said arm 34 providing the necessary contact forces between the fixed contacts. The movable arm 34 is of rectangular cross sec tion and is bent or offset, as is best shown in FIG. 1, to provide the contact forces between contacts 32 and 38.

A rubbing block dilis fastened to the movable arm by rivets 42. The movable arm 34 is insulated from the bracket arm 24! by insulating paper 44 so as to prevent an electrical short circuit from the bracket arm 2b to the movable arm 34.

The present construction is extremely economical. The integral contact bracket and bracket arm unit are formed from sheet metal by stamping and bending operations. The movable arm assembly comprising the resilient spring steel movable arm, contact and rubbing block is connected to the bracket arm and insulated therefrom by suitable insulating material. The resilient spring steel movable arm is of suitable design and dimension to cause engagement between its contact point and the fixed contact point carried by the contact bracket arm. The breaker assembly is strong, rigid, and yet relatively light and is arranged to have the necessary electrical conductivity.

The advantages of this invention include lightweight construction as well as the low cost in production, permanent alignment between the pre-aligned contacts and a unitized type of construction. The present invention has eliminated the necessity of providing a bushing or cylindrical bearing portion on which to mount the movable arm assembly. In fact, the present bracket and bracket arm assembly is stiffer and more rugged than prior contact brackets which utilize many additional parts.

The drawings and the foregoing specification constitute a description of ignition contacts in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An ignition contact set comprising an integrally formed sheet metal bracket having a base, a bracket arm and means connecting said base and an intermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm being located in planes which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of said base, said bracket arm including an ofiset end portion on one end and a hooked end portion on the other end, said end portions being spaced from said base, said hooked end portion including a contact support arm which is laterally spaced from the intermediate portions of said bracket arm, a fixed contact carried by said contact support arm, a movable arm having one end connected to the offset end portion of said bracket arm, a contact on the other end of said movable arm movable into and out of engagement with said fixed contact, said movable arm being made from conductive spring material and efiective to bias itself in a direction to close said contacts.

2. An ignition contact set defined in claim 1 wherein a portion is struck-out of said base to form an integral locating post.

3. An ignition contact set comprising an integrally formed sheet metal bracket having a base, a bracket arm and means connecting said base and anintermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm being located in planes which are substantially perpendicular to said base and including an oifset end portion on one end and a hooked end portion on the other end, said end portions being spaced from said base, said hooked end portion including a contact support arm which is laterally spaced from the intermediate portion of said bracket arm, and a semi-cylindrical portion which permits fastening means to be readily inserted into said base, a fixed contact carried by said contact support arm, a movable arm having one end connected to said offset end portion of said bracket arm, a contact on the other end of said movable arm movable into and out of engagement with said fixed contact, said movable arm being formed of conductive spring material and effective to bias itself in a direction to close said contacts.

4. An ignition contact set comprising an improved bracket comprising an integral elongated sheet metal member having a flat base, a bracket arm and connecting means between said base and an intermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm being located in planes which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of said base, said connecting means including a portion of'sinuous configuration integrally connected to one edge of said base and to the lower edge of the intermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm including an oflset end portion and a hooked end portion on opposite ends of said intermediate portion, said end portions beingspaced from said base, said hooked end portion terminating in a contact support arm which is laterally spaced from and parallel to said intermediate portion, a fixed contact carried by said contact support arm, a movable arm having one end pivotally connected to the ofiset end portion of said bracket arm, and a contact on the other end of said movable arm which is movable into and out of engagement with said fixed contact, said movable arm being made from conductive spring material and eiieotive to bias itself in a direction to close said contacts.

5. An ignition contact set defined in claim 4 wherein a portion is struck-out of said base to form an integral locating post.

6. An ignition contact set comprising an improved bracket comprising an integral elongated sheet metal member having a fiat base, a bracket arm and connecting means between said base and an intermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm being located in planes which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of said base, said base having an elongated stiiiening and reinforcing flange bent up at one edge of the base, said connecting means including a portion integrally connected to the upper edge of said flange and to the lower edge of the intermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm including an offset end portion and a hooked end portion on opposite ends of said intermediate portion, said end port-ions being spaced from said base, said hooked end portion terminating in a contact support arm which is laterally spaced from and parallel to said intermediate portion, a fixed contact carried by said contact support arm, a movable arm having one end connected to the offset end portion of said bracket arm, and a contact on the other end of said movable arm which is movable into and out of engagement with said fixed contact, said movable arm being made from conductive spring material and eliective to bias itself in a direction to close said contacts.

7. An ignition contact set comprising an improved bnacket comprising -an integral elongated sheet metal member having a fiat base, a bracket arm and connecting means between said base and an intermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm being located in planes which are substantially perpendicular to the plane of said base, said base having an elongated stiffening and reinforcing fiange bent up at one edge of the base, said connecting means including a portion integrally connected to the upper edge of said flange and to the lower edge of the intermediate portion of said bracket arm, said bracket arm including an offset end portion and a hooked end portion on opposite ends of said intermediate portion, said end portions being spaced from said base, said hooked end portion terminating in a contact support arm which is laterally spaced from and parallel to said intermediate portion, a fixed contact carried by said contact support arm, a movable arm having one end connected to the offset end portion of said bracket arm, a laterally extending projection on said movable arm intermediate said ends forming a rubbing post, and a contact on the other end of said movable arm which is movable int o and out of engagement with said fixed contact, said movable arm being made from conductive spring material and effective to bias itself in a direction to close said contacts.

References Sited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,559,568 Hooven July 3, 1951 2,820,857 Thomas Jan. 21, 1958 2,835,755 Filko May 20, 1958 

1. AN IGNITION CONTACT SET COMPRISING AN INTEGRALLY FORMED SHEET METAL BRACKET HAVING A BASE, A BRACKET ARM AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID BASE AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID BRACKET ARM, SAID BRACKET ARM BEING LOCATED IN PLANES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF SAID BASE, SAID BRACKET ARM INCLUDING AN OFFSET END PORTION ON ONE END AND A HOOKED END PORTION ON THE OTHER END, SAID END PORTIONS BEING SPACED FROM SAID BASE, SAID HOOKED END PORTION INCLUDING A CONTACT SUPPORT ARM WHICH IS LATERALLY SPACED FROM THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF SAID BRACKET ARM, A FIXED CONTACT CARRIED BY SAID CONTACT SUPPORT ARM, A MOVABLE ARM HAVING ONE END CONTACT ON THE OTHER END OF SAID MOVABLE ARM MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FIXED CONTACT, SAID MOVABLE ARM BEING MADE FROM CONDUCTIVE SPRING MATERIAL AND EFFECTIVE TO BIAS ITSELF IN A DIRECTION TO CLOSE SAID CONTACTS. 